Systematic Theology – Creation and Providence

Calvin on Providence

Professor: Dr. R.J. Rushdoony

Subject: Systematic Theology

Genre: Speech

Lesson: 7 of 17

Track: #7

Year:

Dictation Name: 7 Calvin on Providence

[Rushdoony] This evening we begin with a consideration of Calvin on providence. The great theological statement on the doctrine of providence is John Calvin’s. He very clearly saw the necessity of setting forth the relationship of the two doctrines, creation and providence. In his Institutes of the Christian Religion he wrote, and I quote, “to represent God as a creator only for a moment, who entirely finished all his work at once, were frigid and jejune; and in this it behooves us especially to differ from the heathen, that the presence of the divine power may appear to us no less in the perpetual state of the world than its first origin. Because unless we proceed to his providence we have no correct conception of the meaning of this article, “that God is the creator;” however we may appear to comprehend it in our minds, and to confess it with our tongues.” In other words, providence and creation are inseparable. Providence is not a universal mechanical operation, but as Calvin said “a particular providence sustaining, nourishing, and providing for everything which God hast made. All the parts of the world are quickened by the secret inspiration of God.”

Calvin thus opposes the doctrine of providence to fortune, and to fortuitous accidents. Providence is purposive, it is holy, and it is righteous. To quote Calvin again “But whoever has been taught from the mouth of Christ that the hairs of his head are all numbered will seek further for a cause and conclude that all events are governed by the secret counsel of God; and respecting things inanimate it must be admitted that though they are all naturally in endued with their peculiar properties, yet they exert not their power any further than as they are directed by the present hand of God. They are therefore no other than instruments into which God infuses as much efficacy as He pleases; bending and turning them to any actions according to His will.”

Now this doctrine of Calvin’s had a very great influence on Puritanism. Calvin held that God’s providence is both general and particular, so that he saw every year, month, and day governed by a new and particular providence of God. He saw God’s power and omnipotence as continually exerted on every distinct and particular movement. He said therefore, and I quote “the faithful should rather encourage themselves in adversity with this consolation; that they suffer no affliction but by the ordination and command of God, because they are under His hand. But if the government of God be thus extended to all His works, it is puerile cavil to limit it to the influence and course of nature.” In other words Calvin said God’s providence governs all of the creation, it governs what we call nature, but it also governs every detail of your life and mine. There are no accidents in creation, in every situation we are in the hand of God. So that, as he said and I quote: “His people may securely repose in His protection; to whose will are subject all those evils which can be feared from any quarter.” As a result astrology is forbidden to us, and any other evasion of the providence of God.

Providence is particular; Calvin is emphatic that it is not mechanical. It is not only foreknowledge, but it is also action; God is not a ruler in name only. As a result any view that makes God a ruler in name only is not Biblical. Every event, all the world, must be seen as governed by the power of God. We cannot understand the reason for the strength, the militancy, and power of Calvinism and Puritanism, apart from the doctrine of providence. The failure of modern Calvinism has been due to its indifference to this doctrine. But Calvinism without the doctrine of providence is not Calvinism but an abortion; and the sad fact is that those today who claim to be Calvinist do not speak about providence. They do not preach it.

Calvin applied the doctrine to everything, including the weather. Quote, “Not a drop of rain falls, but at the express command of God.” Calvin cited scripture after scripture to vindicate this faith. A few of those which he cited are “He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.” “Who is like unto the Lord our God who dwelleth on high, who humbleth Himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth.” The first of these from Psalm 147:9, the second from Psalm 113 verses five and six. Then from Proverbs 16:11 “The preparations of the heart in man and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.” Proverbs 20:24 “Mans goings are of the Lord, how can a man then understand his own way?” and from Jeremiah 10:23 “Oh Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself, it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” In Matthew 10:29 “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father?” In other words, for Calvin, nothing is a product of chance. Calvin drew a sharp distinction between providence on the one hand and fate, fortune, and chance on the other. He saw the later as the outworkings of a blind and mechanical nature.

Now Calvin in his day was full of mechanistic and naturalistic thinking. These philosophies existed among the pagans, and they were current in his day; and he spoke of those who believed, quote, “That the world revolves at random.” But Calvin refused to subscribe to anything mechanical, he believed in God’s providence. He said: “the will of God is the supreme and first cause of all things, because nothing happens but by His command or permission.” While providence sometimes may seem accidental to us, it is not and Calvin was very bold in stating this case, and He said that the order, reason, end, and necessity of events are chiefly concealed in the purpose of God. He said moreover, and I quote: “Let us suppose, for example, that a merchant having entered a wood in the company of honest men imprudently wanders from his companions and, pursuing a wrong course, falls into the hand of robbers and is murdered. His death was not only foreseen by God, but also decreed by Him. For it is said not that He has foreseen to what limits the life of every man would extend but that “hath appointed bounds which he cannot pass.” Yet, as far as our minds are capable of comprehending, all these circumstances appear fortuitous. What opinion shall a man form on this case? He will consider all the circumstances of such a death as in their nature fortuitous; yet he will not doubt that the providence of God presided and directed fortune to that end. The same reasoning will apply to future contingencies. All future things being uncertain to us, we hold them in suspense as though they might happen either one way or another. Yet this remains a fixed principle in our hearts, that there will be no event which God hath not ordained. In this sense the word “chance” is frequently repeated in the book of Ecclesiastes. Because on the first view man penetrates not to first cause, which lies deeply concealed.”

Thus Calvin did not allow either chance or mechanical necessity prevail. Moreover, he insisted that man should not look at the world with pagan eyes, and see quote: “That God amused Himself with tossing men about like tennis balls.” He declared, and I quote, “What God decrees must necessarily come to pass. Yet it is not by absolute or natural necessity. We find in respect to the bones of Christ, since he possessed a body like ours no reasonable man will deny that his bones were capable of being broken. Yet that they should be broken was impossible. Hence again we perceive that the distinction of relative and absolute necessity, as well as necessity of consequent and of consequence, were not without reason invented in the schools. Since God made the bones of His Son capable of being broken which however he had exempted from actually being broken and thus prevented by the necessity of His purpose which might naturally have come to pass.”

Calvin was not interested in speculative theology but in a theology for Godly living. And so what his summons was, was that men should trust in God, believe in the Fatherhood of God, believe that the mind of God and therefore the providence is far greater than we are capable of understanding.

Paganism however echoes the words of Agamemnon in Homer who said “The blame belongs not to me but to Jupiter and fate.” Now such a view turns the whole universe upside down and it leads to fatalism. This a Christian cannot believe in. God’s providence is not an abstraction; it is not a mechanical operation outside of us. The universe is not merely a collection of naturalistic causes and matter; it is the handiwork of God in its every atom. And hence the providence of God, we are told, ought not always to be contemplated abstractly by itself, but in connection with the means God employs. And so we have to see the universe as God’s creation. We must see ourselves too as God’s creation, and as God’s instruments.

Providence means a world of total meaning, and victorious meaning. IT means that we are delivered from anxiety, dread, and care. Without this faith in providence the main spring of Christian power and action is gone. God becomes remote and His government is then an eternity away, only with the doctrine of providence can we know that God is closer to us than we are to ourselves. Then the providential government of God is in the very marrow of our bones, the hairs of our head, and the thoughts of our being. Providence is then in our actions, and in the grass beneath our feet, and the sparrows around us. Then too we live and move and have our being not only in God, but in His providence as a total part thereof. Without a lively faith in providence man is an outsider in the universe, with it we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. Let us pray.

Our Lord and our God we thank Thee for Thy providential care. We thank Thee that we live not in a blind and empty universe; not in a world of matter, but in Thy world, surrounded by Thy creation which moves to Thy purpose. Give us grace therefore to move to Thy purpose, and to fit all our ways unto Thee. In Jesus name, amen.

We will next consider, when we resume our session, naturalistic providence.